Filter press



June 26, 1923. 1,459,911

A. M D. GRAY FILTER PRES S Filed March 8, 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet l June 2 6, 1923.

- 1,459,911 A. M D'. GRAY v FILTER PRESS I Filed March 8, 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Evwantoz .144 HNSUA/ M'ZZEWY "(LL aflomewb M "Patented dune 1 Wei '1 l... i

lhdthll t) it Q -ALANSOI T MOD. GRAY, OF ELIZABETH, NEVJ JERSEY, ASSIG-NOR TO THE V7. KELLOGG COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. 1., CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

FILTER PRESS.

Application filed March 8, 1922.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I. .etnnnson Moll GRAY, a citizen of the United States of America. residing at 72 Hazard Place, Elizabeth, New Jersey, am the inventor of certain new and useful Improvements in Filter Presses, of which the following is a true and concise description.

My invention relates to filter presses and has as one of its objects to provide an arrangement whereby the large sized filter presses of standard type may be operated more conveniently and quickly than has heretofore been the case.

The second object of my invention is to provide an arrangement for av standard type lilter press whereby large sized filter presses may be manufactured more economically. As is well know, the petroleum industry. as well as other industries, makes use of a filter press comprising a fixed head, a movable head and a large number of blanketed plates alternating with rings and tightly clamped between the fixed and movable heads during the period of operation. Preparatory to taking down the press after a run, it has been the practice to remove certain. large heavy nuts from tie rods extending between the two heads in order to withdraw the movable head. to permit the removal of the plates and rings for cleaning purposes. Since the movable head lies above the pit, it has been a difiicult and tedious job to remove these nuts. Moreover, the limit ing weight of the nuts which the workmen could handle under the conditions oi? opera tions of this process has been such that the presses have been built with a greater number of tie-rods than need have been the case, thus increasing the cost of the presses.

According to my invention, the nuts and the tie-rods are dispensed with and the movable head and the small key and head arrangement substituted, whereby the movable head may be quickly released when desirable. The parts which the workmen need lift are thus greatly reduced in size and weight with an increase in quickness of operation and. the reduction in weight of these parts per mits the rods to be made heavier, thus per mitting a reduction in their number and reducing the cost of the press.

The novel features of my invention are pointed out with particularity in the appended claims. The invention itself how erial 1T0. 542,110.

ever, with further objects and advantages will best be understood by those skilled in Fig. 3 is a detail illustrating two pairs of tilter plates and cooperating rings in longitudinal section.

Fig. 4: is a section on the line 4, 4 of Fig. 1.

Fig 5 is an enlarged detail in section of a tie-rod fitted with an extension head and key in accordance with my invention.

Fig. 6 is a detail plan of the parts shown in Fig. 5.

In the drawing, 1 is a fixed head of a filter press of known type, the parallel cooperating movable head of which is designated by numeral 2. Head 2 is mounted to slide on guide rods 3, 3. In setting up the press for operation, a large number of alternating filter plates 4-. and rings 5 assembled on the rods 3, the rings and plates being set in liquid tight contact between the heads 1 and 2. As illustrated in Fig. 3, plates 4 comprise a central disc 41 on each side of which are perforated discs 4, the whole covered by canvas blankets P. As clearly appears in Figs. 1 and 1, the plates 4: and blankets 4: have central apertures 4 therethrough so that when liquid under pressure from pipe 7 is forced through the fixed head 1, the liquid passes through from one end of the press to the other and percolates through the blankets 4- in parallel, the solid material. being retained within the rings 5. However, during this operation, a hydrostatic pressure is exerted against the heads 1 and 2 which is resisted by the rods 6, 6. These rods have nuts {i at one end cooperating with the fixed head 1 and at the other end rods 6 are pro vided, according to my invention, with extension heads 8, preferably threaded to the rods 6. The heads 8 extend through apertured bosses 2 on the movable head 2 and are provided with vertical slots or apertures 9 for receiving keys 10, which normally engage the outer face of the bosses 2 and sustain the tension in the rods 6. Heads 8 are preferably threaded to the rods 6 but may be othcrw iso secured thereon if desired. The openings in the bosses 2? are of suitable size to permit the ready insertion and removal of the heads 8, preferably the keys 10 have parallel sides throughout their active faces and have an overhanging lip 10 at one end to prevent their falling through the apertures 9 when dropped therein. The work men may therefore drop the keys in these apertures without further thought. The keys 10 may also be secured to the head 2 by means of chains or other tie members if desired. v

l/Vhen the spaces between adjacent plates 4 have been filled by the solid material, the movable head is forced toward the fixed head by means of a piston rod 11 secured to a piston, not shown, contained in a cylinder 12 (Fig. 1). This action of the piston rod and piston is controlled by the lever 13, which operates the valves regulating the inlet and outlet of fluid to cylinder 12. WVhen the tension on rods 6 has thus been relaxed by the piston rod 11, the keys 10 may be readily withdrawn from the slots 9 and heads 8, and the nuts 6* relaxed. The action of the piston rod 11 is thereupon reversed and the movablehead 2 withdrawn from headl along rods 3 sufficient to permit the ready removal and cleaning of the plates 4. and rings 5. After cleaning the plates and rings are re-assembled as. shown, pressure is exerted on the head 2 by piston rod 11, the keys 1O replaced in the position illustrated'in Fig. l and the nuts 6 are tightened to insure a liquid tight joint between the platesA: and rings 5. Pressure on piston rod 11 is otherwise relaxed and the apparatus is ready for another run.

' It will be seen that by means of my arrangement of keys cooperating with the ten sion rods of the press that the, press may be operated with a maximum speed and convenience and that it may also be designed with a minimum number of tie-rods 6, thus reducing the number of parts and the cost of manufacture of the press.

It will be seen, moreover, that by thread ing the extension heads 8 to the rods 6, the rods may be used with an ordinary type nut provided at any time it should become necessary to do so owing to theft of the keys 10 or'accidental destruction of them.

It will be understood also that I may use the construction according to my invention on the ends of tie-rods at the fixed head of the machine if desired, without departing from my invention, and that I do not limit myself to the form of slotted head with key described herein, as I may use other forms of interlocking heads and keys within my- ALANSON McD. GRAY. 

